Dear Murphy,

I’m writing to you because you deserve a little credit. More often than not you are in the shadow of Miles, your older dog-brother and the “better” dog in the household. You constantly hear “Miles is the GOOD dog. Murphy is the nightmare dog” as we clean up the trash you’ve strewn around the kitchen, or sew a throw pillow you’ve chewed up for the millionth time. I know it can’t be easy, trying to live up to Miles who never seems to do anything wrong.

But you, Murphy, you are loved. I couldn’t imagine our family without you. For every exasperating thing you do, you do something equally as adorable so I can never stay mad at you. You think you weigh 10 pounds as you try to curl up in my lap, often when it’s occupied by my laptop. Or baby. You sit next to me and press your cheek against my mouth, demanding kisses regardless of what I’m doing. It’s cute when I’m just sitting around. It requires a bit more explanation when we have company and I’m in the middle of telling a story. You bark and sound like you’re screaming (it’s the beagle in you) and it makes us all jump. You scratch your butt against the edge of the coffee table, often spilling my wine glass in the process. You are you. You are irreplaceable.

So I love you, Murphy. I love your silliness, your affection and your undeniable dogness. While Miles may sometimes seem like a person to us, you are ALL dog. That’s a good thing. Sometimes we just need our dogs to be dogs, whether frustrating us or loving us, because dogs are the best animal there is. Thank you for being you and reminding me daily why I love dogs.